Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

      Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins follows Katniss as she returns to District 12 after she and Peeta defy the Capital and win the Hunger Games, together. She is now thrust into the spotlight in a role she's not quite sure she wants and all she wants is for her and her family to survive. It's devastating thinking how much she's been through at 17 and the dystopian world that she lives in. This novel is darker than Hunger Games was and Suzanne Collins shows us this through the political unrest that is spreading across the districts and Katniss' growing need to escape. It was cruel of Snow to force the tributes back into another Hunger Games and its hard to watch the grief that overcomes Katniss at the thought of never seeing her family again.

      I enjoy Suzanne Collins writing and I love that these YA books can be enjoyed by adults too, the series is much more mature than other YA books that I have read. They discuss difficult topics like politics and living under a cruel and unjust authoritarian government. At the same time, they are light enough to be enjoyed by younger readers. I, as an adult, wish sometimes that she would go into politics and history a little bit more, but it makes sense considering that they are meant for teenagers. One thing that I did not enjoy was the love triangle. Personally, I've never been a fan of this trope, but they were very popular when the series was published. Also, the Hunger Games felt a little rushed, especially towards the end.

      I'm very excited to read Mockingjay and then (eventually) The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes! Overall I'd give Catching Fire a 4/5 for the emotional depth that Suzanne Collins is able to put into a YA book.